Pregnancy Post: Week 17

Sorry y'all...the picture this week is pretty fuzzy, but I am just too tired to take another one, lol!

Overall, I'm in pretty good spirits this week. We went to the doctor, and got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was awesome, and definitely calmed me down. It ranged from 150-158, and my parents have cast their vote for Team Boy after hearing that. I think I remember my mom saying that's about what my brother's heartbeat was, but we'll fins out for sure (hopefully!) on Sept. 1st. I also discovered that I can continue sleeping on my back, and that I picked up poison ivy while camping. I told the nurse that it's hard for me not to have symptoms, but also not to be feeling the baby. She told me to call anytime I'm feeling anxious or nervous, and she'll do a quick check for the heartbeat with the doppler. I about kissed her.

I did forget to ask the doctor about round ligament pain, which I think I'm starting to have a bit of. I tend to get a sharp pain on my right side, about 4 or 5 inches diagonally down from my belly button. The pain only last for a few seconds, and mostly happens when I get up quickly from sitting down. If it's not that, my scar tissue from my appendectomy is also on my right side, so I'm sure it's one or the other. I figure that pain that only lasts a few seconds probably isn't anything to be too worried about, right?

In terms of weight gain, I can't remember where I started--before pregnancy, I always varied between about 5 pounds. I'm still within the top end of those 5 pounds with a full bladder, so I think I'm doing pretty good here, even though the "baby body blahs" are starting to settle in a little bit and I feel huge already.

The baby is now about the size of an onion, and its skeleton is turning from cartilage to bone (which means I'm supposed to be drinking my milk). Some people believe that the baby can now hear what's going on outside the womb, so they recommend talking to the belly, reading to it, or playing music. The doctor told me to be prepared to "pop", because my uterus is apparently just about ready to push completely over the pubic bone. You mean to tell me that I haven't popped already?! Seriously though, the doctor said that my fundal height was measuring a little low, but he didn't seem concerned about it at all. I've heard that if you're tall, which I definitely am, fundal heights can be off anyway.

Justin has already taken to calling me "Kanga", of Winnie The Poo fame, because he says that I look like Kanga did with Roo in her pouch. I guess it's better than the lady at church who has already started calling me "Little Fattie"!